1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display apparatus in which a light-transmitting panel that covers a display screen is vibrated by a vibration generating section and relates to a display apparatus having a structure in which the density of an elastic frame that supports a light-transmitting panel is partially increased.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2011-107766 discloses technology relating to a structure for holding a touch screen. In this holding structure, a glass substrate including the touch screen is arranged in the front of a display panel. The glass substrate is supported above the display panel by a support frame made of resin or rubber. A piezoelectric element for providing vibrations for feedback at the time of operation is fixed to the glass substrate.
Providing the resin or rubber support frame between the display panel and the glass substrate reduces the attenuation of vibrations given to the glass substrate by the piezoelectric element and helps prevent dust and water drops from entering the space between the display panel and the glass substrate.
In actuality, however, it is difficult to achieve both the function of suppressing the attenuation of vibrations and the dustproof function and waterproof function. To suppress the attenuation of vibrations on the glass substrate, it is necessary to make the support frame out of an elastic material having a low modulus of elasticity. One of the optimal choices for such a material is an elastic foam material, such as a polyurethane foam material. However, the elastic foam material is insufficient for preventing entry of dust and water drops. In contrast, if the support frame is made of an elastic material having a high density, a vibration force occurring in the glass substrate is low.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-94109 discloses technology relating to a display apparatus with an input function. In this display apparatus, a touch screen is arranged in front of a liquid crystal display panel, and the touch screen is supported by a support. The support is made of a rubber material, is formed so as to surround the liquid crystal display panel, and achieves the dustproof function and waterproof function.
The support includes a first part and a second part. The second part is set such that its flexure is smaller than that of the first part. This technology aims to enable the touch screen to be sufficiently bent by a vibration force of a vibrator by the use of arrangement of the second part, whose flexure is smaller, at each of the four corners of the touch screen.
However, in the technology described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-94109, the support has different cross-sectional shapes in the first part and the second part, and the support is made of different elastic materials in the first part and the second part. This means that the shape and structure of the support are complicated. In addition, because the first part and the second part are discontinuous, the dustproof function and waterproof function may be unsatisfactory in the discontinuous portion.